Remotely actuated magazine sprinkler valve



Dec. 8, 1964 D. REID REMOTELY ACTUATED MAGAZINE SPRINKLER VALVE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 31, 1963 INVENTOR Dona/d Lee Reid BY Z ATTORNEY Dec. 8, 1964 D. 1.. REID REMOTE-LY ACTUATED MAGAZINE SPRINKLER VALVE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 31, 1965 United States Patent 3,160,212 REMOTELY AQTUATED MAGAZINE SPRINKLER VALVE Donald Lee Reid, Charlottesville, Va, assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed July 31, 1963, Ser. No. 299,123

Claims. (Cl. 1692) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), see. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of royalties thereon or therefor.

The present invention relates to fire extinguishing systems in general and to a new and novel sprinkling system and valve for ship magazines in particular.

Prior sprinkling systems have used dry line piping to the sprinkler with the result that a certain amount of time is lost in applying water to a fire in a missile magazine in quantities sufficient to extinguish the blaze before all of the missiles are set off. A reason for the use of dry line piping lies in the fact that conventional wet system sprinkling valves are too complex and slow acting for use in ship magazines. Another reason for the use of dry line piping systems is due to the fact that time is not such a critical factor when handling conventional ammunition. In the case of missiles, however, a fire can virtually cause a spontaneous conflagration. It is, therefore, of utmost importance to obtain sprinkler valves and systems which can and will supply the maximum amount of water in the shortest period of time. Such devices as melting straps or electrically operated valves are structurally too complex or much too slow for optimum operation. Also they take up too much space when space is at a premium in a missile magazine. Also, for space conservation reasons, a long venturi nozzle for increasing flow quantity is not feasible for use in a missile magazine.

The general purpose of this invention is to provide a sprinkling system which maintains the fluid as close to a potential source of trouble as possible in order to insure that an optimum quantity of fluid may reach the fire or explosion in the shortest possible period of time and thereby avoid the ever present possibility of a chain reaction of sympathetic detonations. In conjunction with the design of the system in the design of the sprinkler valve per so which allows for the maximum amount of fluid discharge for the size of the valve. Also the relative simplicity, small size and positive acting characteristics of the valve make a wet system for missile magazines a practicality. The relatively simple sprinkler valve of the instant invention is designed to provide a rapid discharge of water with a consequent deluge for extinguishment of combustion.

One object of the present invention resides in the provision of a sprinkling system which discharges an optimum quantity of water to a fire in a minimum period of time.

Another object is to provide a new and improved sprinkling valve which will provide maximum fluid discharge for a given size of valve opening.

A further object of this invention is to provide a relatively small sprinkler valve of greater mechanical simplicity and reliability than valve structures heretofore or now in general usage for ships and magazine structures, which will occupy a minimum of space and yet be extremely rapid acting.

An additional object is to provide a sprinkling system in which the sprinkling valve has a highly reliable positive fast acting control means to actuate it.

Another object is to provide a non-complex sprinkler valve with unobstructed passages, a bullet nozed valve stem configuration, a continuous unbroken relatively short discharge venturi shaped opening all of which facilitates maximum rate of flow with minimum size.

An additional object of this invention is the obtaining of higher flow rates and total flow without increasing the number of sprinkler heads so that higher flow rates can be obtained in present sprinkling systems.

A further object is to provide a valve configuration which facilitates economical manufacture, improved reliability, a minimum of requirements for maintenance together with a greater ease of maintenance.

Another object resides in the provision of a new, novel and improved mechanism for use in a fire sprinkling system, which valve provides substantially all of the desired features or functions of systems heretofore or now in general use and which substantially obviates many if not all of the shortcomings and disadvantages of prior art sprinkling valves.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become readily apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the ac companying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the environment in which the subject sprinkling system is typically intended for use;

FIG. 2 is an elevation view in vertical section of a ship and missile magazine with the sprinkling system of the instant invention installed therein; 7

FIG. 3 is a sectional plan view of the magazine taken along the line 44 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a cross section of the sprinkling valve.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 illustrates the typical environment, viz a magazine and launching platform in which the subject sprinkling system is well adapted for use. FIGS. 2 and 3 disclose the sprinkling system in detail. Reference character 10 identifies a typical missile launching magazine in which the sprinkling system is used. Themagazine comprises an outer shell 11 and an inner ring 12. Missiles 13 are shown in the magazine. The sprinkling system comprises a fluid main to the sprinkling valves 15 from which fluid feed lines communicate with first and second manifold lines 16 and 17, respectively. From these manifold lines 16 and 17 are suspended sprinkler valves 13. A main shut-off valve 1? in the fluid main is normally open but may be closed to shut oif the supply of fluid. In an emergency the fluid used in the sprinkler system may be water or a special chemical although normally it will be water. A fluid control pressure line 20 acts as a manifold from which control lines extend to the pressure control chambers relief ports 27 of the sprinkler valve 18. Connected in the fluid control pressure line are detection devices 21 sensitive to environmental conditions in the magazine such as pressure and temperature. These detection devices are located in strategic locations throughout the magazine to detect sudden or unusually prolonged increases in temperature or pressure which signal a possible danger condition. On sensing these unusual conditions they vent the fluid pressure control line. A drain 29 is provided in the floor of the magazine.

The sprinkler valve 18 comprises a valve housing 22, a loosely fitting operating piston 23, a valve stem and seat having a bullet shaped configuration, an operating spring 24 acting on the operating piston, a conical or venturi shaped discharge passage 28 which provides a seat for the operating piston 23, spray head 25 and pressure control chamber and relief port 27 which provides the fluid con trol pressure means for the valve. The loosely fitting or operating piston allows a leakage passage 26 to be formed between the piston and the body of the valve. The simplicity of the valve and its good flow characteristics due to the combination of the non-obstructed passages, bullet shaped valve stem and venturi nozzle outlet enable the valve to be comparatively cheap in the price of production and easy to maintain. Freedom from pressure diaphragms that must rupture to release the water or pins that must break or melt or complex spring valve operations enhances the practicability of the disclosed sprinkler system.

In operation the fluid main and the fluid pressure control lines are filled with fluid at fire main pressure. The leak passage 26 insures that this pressure is equalized on the lower and upper portion of the operating piston. The operating spring 24 then will ensure that the operating piston stays seated on the nozzle seat. When there is an unusual increase in temperature or pressure or both the fluid pressure control line is vented to the atmosphere. Immediately fire main pressure acting on the lower portion of the operating piston will cause the operating piston to snap open (away from its seat). The result is an instant deluge of fluid to bring the fire or conflagration under control. In particular, when the pressure is vented above the operating piston through the pressure relief port, fire main pressure acts on the lower face of the bullet shaped valve and seat to force the operating piston away from the seat in the venturi nozzle 28. Since the leak passage is too small to allow pressure to build up instantaneously, the operating piston valve stem and seat separate from the venturi seat instantaneously. At this point there is an immediate discharge of liquid over the trouble spot.

In addition to the type of operating piston arrangement having a leak passage open to the control pressure area other operating pistons which have the main fluid passage separated from the pressure control area by diaphragms, etc., could be used in the disclosed system as long as control pressures enable the operating piston to operate in the disclosed manner.

Various modifications are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is: v 1

1. A wet fire extinguishing system, comprising;

a main fluid supply line containing fire extinguishing fluid under pressure;

a fluid control line containing a fluid under pressure equal to that of the main fluid line, said fluid control line being arranged substantially parallel to said ma line;

a plurality of control chambers connected in both of the lines and arranged at intervals;

a valve seat located in each of the control chambers and leading to a discharge port;

a bullet shaped valve mounted for reciprocation in each of said control chambers so that the pressure in the supply line tends to keep the valve open and the pressure in the control line tends to keep the valve closed;

means engaging the valve to normally keep the valve closed when the pressure in the lines are equal, but yielding to a lessening of pressure in the control line to permit the pressure of the supply line to open the valve, and

means sensitive to changes of temperature and/ or pressure located in the control line at various points throughout the system to bleed said control line upon changes of temperature or pressure to actuate said valve and permit a flow of fluid through the discharge port.

2. A wet fire extinguishing system according to claim 1 and including a spray head, carried by said control chamber, receiving and scattering the fluid passing through the discharge port.

3. A wet fire extinguishing system according to claim 1 wherein the means engaging the valve is a coil spring.

4. A wet fire extinguishing system according to claim 1 and including means associated with the valve to slowly bleed the pressure on one end of the valve to the other end, to thereby insure a balanced valve, normally having the same pressure on each end.

5. A wet fire extinguishing system according to claim 4 wherein the means associated with the valve is a passageway formed in the control chamber connecting one end of the valve with the other end.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 926,787 7/09 Virkler 137-509 X 1,491,301 4/24 Grafliin 16920 1,592,346 7/26 Erwin 169-37 1,800,545 4/31 Larner 16920 1,955,685 4/34 Rowley 169--20 1,958,283 5/34 Tyden 16916 2,330,610 9/43 Natter l37509 2,480,391 8/49 Williamson 169-16 X 2,561,229 7/51 Rider 16919 LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner.

EUGENE F. BLANCI-IARD, Examiner. 

1. A WET FIRE EXTINGUISHING SYSTEM, COMPRISING; A MAIN FLUID SUPPLY LINE CONTAINING FIRE EXTINGUISHING FLUID UNDER PRESSURE; A FLUID CONTROL LINE CONTAINING A FLUID UNDER PRESSURE EQUAL TO THAT OF THE MAIN FLUID LINE, SAID FLUID CONTROL LINE BEING ARRANGED SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID MAIN LINE; A PLURALITY OF CONTROL CHAMBERS CONNECTED IN BOTH OF THE LINES AND ARRANGED AT INTERVALS; A VALVE SEAT LOCATED IN EACH OF THE CONTROL CHAMBERS AND LEADING TO A DISCHARGE PORT; A BULLET SHAPED VALVE MOUNTED FOR RECIPROCATION IN EACH OF SAID CONTROL CHAMBERS SO THAT THE PRESSURE IN THE SUPPLY LINE TENDS TO KEEP THE VALVE OPEN AND THE PRESSURE IN THE CONTROL LINE TENDS TO KEEP THE VALVE CLOSED; MEANS ENGAGING THE VALVE TO NORMALLY KEEP THE VALVE CLOSED WHEN THE PRESSURE IN THE LINES ARE EQUAL, BUT YIELDING TO A LESSENING OF PRESSURE IN THE CONTROL LINE TO PERMIT THE PRESSURE OF THE SUPPLY LINE TO OPEN THE VALVE, AND MEANS SENSITIVE TO CHANGES OF TEMPERATURE AND/OR PRESSURE LOCATED IN THE CONTROL LINE AT VARIOUS POINTS THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM TO BLEED SAID CONTROL LINE UPON CHANGES OF TEMPERATURE OR PRESSURE TO ACTUATE SAID VALVE AND PERMIT A FLOW OF FLUID THROUGH THE DISCHARGE PORT. 